Los Angeles with the kids!

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Time is flying by...and Monday, Leslie is going back to school. For Tiffany, more to come. We have been for the last week in a place with very slow internet, so I had no chance to upload this little entry about Los Angeles.



This is not the first visit of Tiffany and Leslie here. But as for every kid coming to Los Angeles, the first few stops are often first for Universal Studios, the serious water park, or a little further to LEGOLAND and SeaWorld. Leslie even slept in Westwood just short of a year old! All the parks have been done, by both kids, so this time, it's pure Los Angeles time. No Mustang this time, it's winter after all, and we just come back from colder Las Vegas!



But we did sleep in Beverly Hills, more exactly at the SLS Beverly Hills, just few blocks out of Rodeo Drive. I stay few years ago at the Beverly Hilton, but this hotel is supposed to be way higher in style...in Beverly Hills cool! Well, they try to be cool...but they are also properly inefficient. Not a great idea! Still, after living few years in Shanghai, I tend to have fun "looking" at the "circus" from time to time. All those people pretending can only make me smile! Trust me, I'm going to make anything I can to keep my children away from working in the future in the fashion or entertainment world! For the moment, their school results seem to naturally push them through studies that we may call more grounded, and I will not complain! I can't stand drama queens...from which ever sex!



The revenue manager at the SLS may have been "too high" when I booked the hotel few months ago....rates was clearly not correct...but who is going to complain to pay 160usd a night....when the normal regular price is way over 500usd! I just had to click, and yes, for once, I printed that booking! Trust me, I'm good at spotting those mistakes!



Over two days, we drove a little. I had no map, no GPS...I decided to show LA to the kids, the LA way...with a car...taking my time to avoid the traffic jams, and still going around. We had a Monday and Tuesday....so had to do a little planning, as the Getty is closed on Mondays!



We drove through Bel-Air, Darling, I'm ready to move in! We went all the way to Malibu, did the Agoura Hills, had a late lunch at Five Guys Burger...and try some traffic jams on the I-10. Don't ask me to get out on a Monday night on my own in LA...zero interest! I can do with a nice glass of wine in my room with the kids playing on their computer, me doing some work while listening to CNN....can do a very decent Monday evening on the road.



We woke up early for breakfast on Tuesday. The continental breakfast from the SLS is supposed to be healthy...I'm European, I had no idea healthy can also mean basically tasteless....whatever! I'm sure we can do way better in romance and luxury in this coming year of 2016! We drove early to the Getty, just to meet the crowds, and to figure out it would be faster to hike up the hill than wait for the little train...we could do the train on the way down.



I even parked off Hollywood Boulevard to walk few of the Stars! Than I drove up...to the Griffith Park. The road to the Observatory was already blocked....Sir, too many people up there...so we parked and we hiked...a good and healthy hike up the hills. This is a first for me, and the view just after sunset is simply amazing....LA was below us...and on the way down, we just followed people with torches.



It was already time to drive the car back to LAX. I had promised myself to do it without getting stucked on any Freeway. Job down, no map, no GPS, just a natural compass in my head...so we even went around Koreatown. Do not ask me today where is Koreatown on the map, I have no idea. But we made it properly to return our car, and to go through another crowded airport! Happy Holidays!



Next entry is fun, is South...and is mainly warm, sunny...and slightly wet!

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Comments

[D MJ Binkley]

LA overview
Nice one